Isopropyl alcohol is a versatile liquid used in medicine, laboratories, manufacturing, and cleaning. It is often mixed with other chemicals to make it undrinkable and is used as a disinfectant and solvent. However, it is toxic and should be handled with care. It is also used in fuel additives, as a preservative, and in the printing and paint industries. Long-term exposure may have health risks.
Isopropyl alcohol is a colorless, combustible liquid with a wide variety of uses. It has a wide range of uses in the home and is used in laboratories, medicine and many manufacturing industries. Two of its most popular uses are as a solvent and cleaning fluid. However, this alcohol has some toxic properties, so people should be careful when using it.
Denatured alcohol
Along with ethanol, isopropyl is one of the types of alcohol commonly used as the main ingredient in denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is known as surgical spirit in some countries, including the UK and Ireland. Under both names, the solution is typically 70% isopropyl or ethanol and 30% distilled water. The alcohol in the liquid is denatured.
In this context, denatured does not mean that the substance is no longer alcoholic. It means that the alcohol has been mixed with other chemicals to make it undrinkable, making it poisonous or nauseating, or making it taste or smell extremely unpleasant. This is done to discourage people from drinking it.
Medical uses
In medicine, isopropyl alcohol is often used in disinfectant swabs, which are usually cotton or gauze moistened with a 60% to 70% solution of alcohol diluted in water. These pads are used by medical professionals for tasks such as sanitizing small instruments, cleaning surfaces, and cleaning a patient’s skin before an injection. Many home medicine cabinets contain a small bottle of rubbing alcohol which is used as an antiseptic for cuts and scrapes.
This alcohol was once the popular choice for medicinal massages, which is why it became known as denatured alcohol. When applied to the skin, the water in the liquid evaporates quickly, cooling the skin and rapidly reducing body temperature. It was once used regularly to reduce fever in children, but rapidly lowering the temperature is no longer considered beneficial, so health professionals no longer recommend it for this purpose.
Uses of cleaning Cleaning
Since isopropyl alcohol is a solvent, it has many uses as a household cleaner. It is often used to clean dirt from hard-to-reach areas, such as between keyboard keys and mouse wheels. Because it evaporates almost immediately, there’s little risk of shock or damage to electrical components, and it can also be used to clean the lasers in CD and DVD drives. Alcohol also removes stubborn glue residue and dried ink and can remove stains from most natural fibers, including cotton, silk and wood.
Automotive
Isopropyl alcohol is a common component of fuel additives intended to prevent water from building up in fuel lines and to keep the water in the fuel from separating and turning to ice. For the same reason, it can be sprayed on windshields to loosen any ice buildup and can also be used to clean glass. Diluted in water, it is often used to remove wax or polish residues.
Laboratory uses
One of the most common uses of isopropyl in the laboratory is as a disinfectant to clean equipment and work surfaces. When used correctly, it kills significant numbers of bacteria and other potential contaminants, which is why it is also used as a hand sanitizer in laboratories and hospitals.
Isopropyl alcohol can be used as a preservative for biological samples. It is often used to dilute test samples and can be used as a reaction medium for a variety of chemical reactions. It can also be used in place of ethanol, another type of alcohol, to extract DNA from a cell.
In the laboratory, this type of alcohol may be labeled isopropanol, isopropyl, isopro, iso, or the acronym IPA, for isopropyl alcohol. It is also sometimes called 2-propanol, in reference to being an isomer of a compound called propanol. An isomer is a molecule that has the same chemical formula as another molecule, but a different physical arrangement of atoms. This means that the molecules have different shapes and different chemical properties.
Industry
Isopropyl has a wide range of industrial uses. It is widely used in the printing industry as a solvent and for cleaning delicate equipment. The manufacture of most computer components involves the use of isopropyl as a solvent, and it is used in the manufacture of paints, as well as being used as a paint stripper. Even in industries that don’t use this alcohol in manufacturing, it is often used to clean and degrease machinery.
Safety issues
Although isopropyl alcohol is used in many homes, it is not a harmless substance. Preparations sold for home use typically have a concentration of 70% maximum and are therefore less toxic than industry-standard versions, but care should still be taken when handling them. As an alcohol, it is extremely flammable in the presence of high heat, sparks or open flame and can be harmful if swallowed or inhaled.
Pure isopropyl is considered a toxic substance because it is known to be easily absorbed through the skin. Possible effects include headache, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, unconsciousness and coma. Without prompt medical treatment, death can occur due to central nervous system depression. Ingestion or inhalation can also cause these effects, so alcohol should be handled with protective clothing, including gloves and goggles, in a well-ventilated area.
The long-term effects of working with or around this alcohol are not well understood. Chronic exposure to many solvents is known to increase the risk of liver and kidney dysfunction and, in extreme cases, cause brain or nerve damage, but similar links have not been established for isopropyl. Some researchers and medical professionals believe there may be cancer risks associated with long-term exposure, but no definitive link has been established.
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